| Waldridge Colliery | Index | Waldridge Colliery | ||
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Waldridge Colliery
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| Location: | Waldridge 5 miles [8 km] NNW of Durham |
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| Map Ref: | (Sheet 88) NZ251500, 54° 50' 40" N, 1° 36' 32" W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maps: |  1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey |
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| 1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide |
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| 1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide |
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| Opened: | 1831 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed: | Apr 1926 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pits: | Busty Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ256488, opened: 1875, sinking: 1875 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shaft details for Busty Pit |
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| Shaft details for Waldridge Colliery |
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| Owners: | 1780's - H. Jolliffe, Esq. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1850's - Sowerby & Co. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1860's - Sowerby, Phillips & Co. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1880's - Thiedemann & Wallis. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1910's - Priestman Collieries Ltd. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Output: | 1873 - Coal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1888 - A Pit - Coal. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1888 - Busty Pit - Coal. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1896 - A Pit - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1896 - Busty Pit - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1902 - A Pit - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1902 - Busty Pit - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 - Shield Row Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1923 - Coal: Gas, Steam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1923 - Shield Row Drift - Coal: Gas, Steam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1924 - Coal: Gas, Steam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1925 - Shield Row Drift - Coal: Gas, Steam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1927 - Coal: Gas, Steam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment: |
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| Colliery Management (prior to 1955)
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| Seams Worked: | 1894 - Busty, Main | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 - Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Main Coal, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 - Shield Row Drift - Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Main Coal, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 - Shield Row Drift - Low Main, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1923 - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Main, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1923 - Shield Row Drift - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Main, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1924 - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Main, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1925 - Shield Row Drift - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Main, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1927 - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Main, Shield Row [Abandoned 3/27] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Waldridge Colliery |
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| Notes: | 1776 - Boring operations from the surface were in progress on the southern extremity of Waldridge Common, proving the Hutton Seam. |
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1875 - Sunk the Busty Pit, Waldridge Colliery, from the surface to the Busty Seam. |
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1878 - Five Quarter and Main Coal seam abandoned |
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1899 - Boring operations were in progress from the surface in the vicinity of Plawsworth for the owners of Waldridge Colliery. |
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1911 - Hutton seam abandoned |
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1934 - Hutton seam abandoned |
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Description
This colliery is situated about 1½ miles south-west from Chester-le-Street, and was opened on August 1, 1831. It is held under lease of Colonel Jolliffe and Lady Byron by George Sowerby, Esq., and Partners. There are two coal pits and one engine pit.
The pumping engine is a high pressure of 80 horse power. The winding engine is also a high pressure of about 40 horse power. The coals are transmitted by the Stanhope and Tyne Railway to the drops at South Shields, a distance of about 14 miles.
Views of the Collieries (1844)
The coal in this township [Waldridge] is being wrought by Messrs. Thiedemann & Wallis here and at South Moor. The seams working are the Busty, 4 feet thick, and the Main coal, 3 feet 6 inches ; the former is reached by a shaft 100 fathoms deep, the latter being 40 fathoms deep. There are about 320 men and boys employed, and the daily output is over 700 tons, a third of which is converted into coke on the premises.
The Colliery School, built by the colliery owners in 1834, has several times been enlarged, the latest being the addition of an infant school in 1893, which increased the accommodation to 360. It is at present attended by about 300 children.
Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham
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Disasters (5 or more killed)
None Found
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Names of those killed at this colliery
Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!
Bewick, Thomas, 07 Dec 1870, aged 20, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone | ||||||
 | Burdis, John, 25 Dec 1846, fell down staple [More information ...] | |||||
Dixon, John, 19 Apr 1859, aged 19, Hewer, fall of coal while kirving | ||||||
Fenwick, John, 07 Jun 1895, 1:45 a.m., 6th hour of shift, aged 29, Shifter, died on rolley-way from heart disease, for which complaint he had been previously medically treated [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident] | ||||||
| Halliday, John, 17 Feb 1843, aged 29, Halliday and another man had got in the loop to descend Waldrige Pit, but he did not wait for the engineman to draw them up and lower them into the shaft. This caused the rope to drop about three feet into the staple, causing him to be jerked off, and he fell to the bottom of the shaft. He was recovered, but only lived about 15 minutes | |||||
Heywood, Henry, 04 Jun 1858, Hand putter, fell down a staple [More information ...] | ||||||
Johnson, William, 03 Nov 1867, aged 45, Engineman, killed by a boiler explosion | ||||||
 | Lavery, Hugh, 08 Mar 1880, aged 61, Collier, fall of stone from roof while working in a jud, Buried: Ropery Lane Cemetery, Chester-le-Street | |||||
Mason, Edward, 27 Apr 1894, 6:45 a.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 15, Driver, Died suddenly on the rolleyway while walking in-bye to his work [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident] | ||||||
| Oliver, Christopher, 23 Nov 1844, Driver, An inquest was held on 23 November into the death of waggon driver Christopher Oliver, who "as he was proceeding with a train of empty waggons on the railroad from Waldridge Colliery to Sacriston Engine, fell from the front of the first waggons, and was so severely injured that he died soon afterwards." [date of inquest] | |||||
Oxley, Benjamin, 27 May 1854, fall of stone [Sunderland News reports: accident - 27 May 1854 pg 5 col 1] | ||||||
Parnaby, Charles, 02 Feb 1860, aged 28, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone | ||||||
Toward, William, 24 Sep 1864, aged 24, Enginewright, fell part way down the shaft [More information ...] | ||||||
White, Ramsay, 08 Mar 1871, aged 25, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone | ||||||
| 14 names found | ||||||
If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.
Those names marked with ,
have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may
also include a photograph of the deceased.
Click on the symbol
next to the name to see the web page.
Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by
Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser
and Durham Chronicle) and are marked with
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more information on some of the fatalities shown above
The following unnamed fatalities are listed in the Mines Inspectors Reports, once again this collection is not complete!
| Date |  |
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Inspectors Remarks |
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| 15 Jul 1854 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
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Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)
a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Waldridge Colliery
list of collieries/pits etc. near to Waldridge Colliery
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Credits
Sources:
- 1854 List of mines by T. Y. Hall, published in Vol II (1853-4) of the Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers
- 1858 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1859 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1860 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1864 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1867 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1869 List of Mines
- 1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 124)
- 1871 Mines Inspectors Report (C 456)
- 1873-4 List of Mines
- 1880 List of Mines
- 1880 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2903)
- 1881 Mines Inspectors Annual Report
- 1884 List of Mines
- 1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1895 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8074), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines
- 1896 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, also available online at Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd
- 1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
- 1914 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1919 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
- 1921 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1923 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1924 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1925 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- 1927 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
- An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Supplement, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1910
- An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume U-Z, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1897
- Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
- Contributions by members of the Public
- History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
- Sunderland Daily News
- Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.
- Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham by T. H. Hair. First published in 1844.
Pictures:
- Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham by T. H. Hair. First published in 1844.
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Related Links:
| On this site | |
| | Newspaper articles |
| | Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham by T. H. Hair (1844) — Waldridge Colliery |
| | Pictures in the Gallery section for Waldridge Colliery |
Further Reading:
- Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3, provides a brief history of the colliery along with the history of the associated Miners Lodge Banner
Further Research:
Research Notes for Waldridge Colliery
